West Bengal’s biggest annual festival recently saw the addition of a strikingly contemporary pavilion that is 100 percent recyclable in Kolkata , India. Designed by Abin Chaudhuri of the firm Abin Design Studio , the metal mesh pavilion was one of many temporary pavilions — or pandals — constructed to honor the goddess Durga as part of a five-day Hindu festival called Durga Puja. Unlike the other pandals, which are typically built of natural materials and reference traditional motifs and artworks, Abin Design Studio’s creation is architecturally modern with a dynamic form made from steel wire cubes. Installed inside an alley surrounded by buildings, Abin Design Studio’s Festival Pavilion stands out from its predecessors for the way it embraces the site. Rather than covering up the buildings, Abin Chaudhuri regarded the structures as a backdrop for his stacked cubes of steel wire mesh. The pavilion , which appears as a heap of cubes threatening to topple at any moment, is not only used to frame the deity, but it has also been manipulated to create an entrance arch and immersive sculptural artwork. “The installation is based on the idea of ‘Childhood,’” Abin Design Studio explained. “At the entrance of the installation, an abstract flight of birds overhead depicts the freedom of thought and creativity in young children. The wings gradually diminish and the birds tessellate into an array of boxes. Along with the deconstructed arrangement, the boxes put forward a commentary on the scenario of a child’s immense inherent potential getting slowly confined into a metaphorical box. The form of the installation then compels the viewer into a ‘void’, a place to sit and contemplate, in the axial presence of ‘Maa Durga.’” Related: A glowing river of books creates a traffic-free haven in Ann Arbor All parts of the temporary 350-square-meter pavilion are recyclable , from the steel mesh cubes and bamboo framing system to the plywood support system for the platform and stage as well as the old newspaper folded into origami birds. Moreover, the pavilion was also created as a module that could be replicated to activate forgotten urban spaces throughout the city, even in non-festival times. + Abin Design Studio Photography by Suryan/Dang, Abin Chaudhari, Sohomdeep Sinha Roy and Nancy Mandhan via Abin Design Studio

Comments Off on A couple builds a fairytale-like rental cabin near a volcano for $30K

When Caroline and Julien traveled across South America in their Volkswagen Kombi, the couple noticed a dearth of quality accommodations and decided to fill that hospitality gap by building a beautifully crafted rental cabin in Chile . After 19 months of construction, the couple realized their dream on the slopes of the Calbuco Volcano in Ensenada. Designed and constructed for an approximate cost of $30,000, the cozy, handcrafted home — dubbed Casa Nido — has been listed on Airbnb starting at $116 a night . Designing and building Casa Nido was a big adventure for the couple, given that they didn’t know anything about construction before starting. Yet all parts of the cabin , from the design and interior finishes to the electrical wiring and water systems, were carried out by the duo without any outside help. “We are offering tourists and travelers high quality, fully handmade accommodation, somewhere to relax and contemplate far away from consumer society,” said Caroline and Julien. “It is also the ideal place to rethink one’s priorities and experiment, for a given time, what is ‘going back to the essential.’” Inspired by images of fairytale cottages , Casa Nido spans two floors, with a ground floor of 290 square feet and a smaller second level of 129 square feet. The curved roof beam is constructed from plywood, and all the other timber materials are locally sourced, native species. For instance, Patagonian Cypress was used for the windows, doors and furnishings while Manio was used for the outside siding, interior lining and flooring. In addition to a bedroom that sleeps two, the cabin comes with a living room overlooking Calbuco Volcano vistas, a fully equipped kitchen that frames views of Osorno Volcano, a ground floor terrace and a wood-fired hot tub. Related: Award-winning glass cabin is nestled inside an Australian rainforest The cabin is powered by a photovoltaic solar system that provides enough electricity to meet daily needs, while the water is sourced from a nearby natural spring higher up in the valley. Wastewater is treated with a photo-purification system. The couple also plans to build a homemade biodigester to replace the use of gas cylinders for the cabin’s gas system. To wake up to volcano views at Casa Nido, check out the listing on Airbnb . + Casa Nido

Comments Off on Studio Puisto transforms an old bank into a modern hostel in Finland

Helsinki-based design firm Studio Puisto Architects has turned an old bank building into the new and chic Forenom Hostel Jyväskylä in the heart of Jyväskylä’s downtown pedestrian precinct. Completed in December 2017, the adaptive reuse project imbued the dated building with a modern refresh that oozes warmth and comfort with its predominate natural materials palette. During the renovation process, the architects carefully preserved elements of the original design, such as the vault, as reminders of the building’s history. Commissioned by Scandinavian real estate company Forenom, the modern Hostel Jyväskylä spans an area of 1,043 square meters and includes 49 beds with rooms ranging in size from five to 18 square meters. The ground floor houses the reception and includes space for retail and restaurant use, while the lodgings are located on the second, third and fourth floors. The basement level holds a larger restaurant as well as the hostel’s spa and sauna facilities. The Jacuzzi space is inside the former bank vault, which is lined in alder. In keeping with modern Finnish design, the interiors are minimalist and dressed in simple natural materials with plywood furnishings throughout. Boxy plywood volumes were constructed for the bedrooms, of which there are three types on each floor. The compact bedroom volumes open up to a shared central space, kitchen and bathrooms. Related: Derelict property transformed into a vibrant, sunny hostel in Portugal “In all parts of the building, the same simplified colors and materials are repeated: black, white and wood,” Studio Puisto said. “The history and spirit of the building also oozes from its interior. The walls and furniture are covered with domestic birch plywood and the floors in the lobby and bedrooms are linoleum. The hostel’s ecological choices, efficiency and communality make up for a fresh type of accommodation that is an interesting new addition to the service structure of the center of Jyväskylä.” + Studio Puisto Architects Images by Pauliina Salonen and Henri Juvonen

Comments Off on Beautiful Wellington Welcome Pavilion glows like a lantern at night

Calgary-based architecture firm Studio North led a team of architecture students from the University of Toronto Daniels School of Architecture in a design build seminar to realize a stunning new Welcome Pavilion for the village of Wellington, Ontario. Erected in just two weeks, the compact 100-square-foot structure is both sculptural and functional, featuring geometric CNC-milled cutouts inspired by barn quilts, a local craft and tradition unique to that area. The Welcome Pavilion offers shelter, seating and shelving for maps, pamphlets and information about Wellington and Prince Edward County. Sessional Professors Mark Erickson and Matthew Kennedy of Studio North led—with the help of teaching assistant Allison Home-Douglas—a team of fifteen undergraduate architecture students through the design-build process. The design was developed in collaboration with the local community, who taught the team about the village’s traditional culture and crafts. “The design is inspired by barn quilts; a local craft and tradition unique to the county,” explains Studio North in a project statement. “These quilts have colourful geometric patterns that express the character and quality of the place, akin to family crests that distinguish one building from the next. We used the geometric language of these quilt patterns as inspiration for the CNC milled plywood screens that wrap the entire building. These screens paint the middle dividing wall with intricate shadows that transform throughout the day and the season.” Related: Architecture students build a tiny CLT classroom in just 3 weeks The 100-square-foot Welcome Pavilion was built primarily of CNC-milled plywood and semi-translucent polycarbonate , which allows diffused sunlight to pass through. The interior is split into two parts: one half that serves as a covered outdoor public space with benches and a town map; the other half houses the promotional materials. The backside of the plywood screen in the interior was painted with bright colors that, when illuminated by sunlight, fill the space with colorful light. + Studio North Images via Studio North

Comments Off on Breezy Ecuadorian brick home on stilts embraces cool tropical winds

Ecuadorian architecture firm Natura Futura Arquitectura has completed the Stilts House, an elevated brick home that opens up to the outdoors with a perforated facade. Located in General Villamil, a coastal canton of the province of Guayas, the Stilts House celebrates the UNESCO-recognized region’s superb climate and culture of great craftsmanship through its site-specific design. Built of local natural materials and concrete, the home spans 1,722 square feet across two floors. Named after its system of teak pillars, the Stilts House includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchenette, dining area, an enclosed outdoor courtyard , hammock space and two living areas, one on each floor. The main living spaces of the brick home, including the hammock area, are placed on the first floor, and the secondary living area and the bedrooms are located above. To tie the residence into its surroundings, the architects used locally sourced materials including traditional baked bricks laid in a pattern that allows ventilation; no glass was used. Related: This weekend home in Mexico blends in with the forest landscape “On the ground floor, and integrated with the outside and their day-to-day activities, there is a social area that closes in on itself, and opens toward the interior of the house as a rest area with hammocks ,” said Natura Futura Arquitectura in its project statement. “This will generate micro-climates, through the material and its new features.” Timber shutters and sliding doors provide additional privacy and can be easily opened up to connect the interior with the outdoors. + Natura Futura Arquitectura Images via JAG Studio

Comments Off on This ivy-covered writers studio camouflages into a leafy backyard

Here at Inhabitat, we love the trend of creative backyard studios , including the gorgeous Writer’s Shed that seamlessly blends into the verdant suburban surroundings of Melbourne. Designed by Australian practice Matt Gibson Architecture + Design in collaboration with landscape garden designer Ben Scott , the Writer’s Studio is a compact dwelling that uses a blanket of Boston Ivy for camouflage. Sustainability also played a large part in the energy-efficient design, which is based on passive solar principles and largely incorporated the use of renewable and sustainably sourced timber. Conceived as “a living part of the garden rather than an imposition on it,” the Writer’s Shed spans a modest 107 square feet. Despite its small footprint, the interior feels spacious thanks to a minimalist design and the abundance of glass that includes a large window, skylight and glazed door, all of which are fitted with double-glazed low-E glass and bathe the workspace in natural light. In contrast to its Boston Ivy-covered exterior that’s sealed with a rolled Butynol “wet-suit,” the light-filled interior is lined with Hoop Pine plywood panels (AFS- and FSC-Certified ). The engineered timber floor sits atop a concrete slab. Related: Elegant cork-clad artists’ studio slots into a bijou London garden “As the ways we work and live continue to adapt and change to our environment and technology, traditional notions are challenged and new opportunities appear,” the architects explained in their project statement. “An antidote is often needed to balance the overstimulating, populous and constantly-contactable workplaces where we spend much of our modern lives. More people are opting to work from a variety of locations, sometimes rejecting the rigid and sealed open plan office for the benefits of more natural surroundings. As a detached and flexible workspace, the Writer’s Shed provides an intimate private space to recoup, reflect and recharge the imagination.” + Matt Gibson Architecture + Design Images via Matt Gibson Architecture + Design

Seattle-based design firm Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects designed the Lot 6 Cabin, a charming retreat with mid-century modern influences in Winthrop, Washington. Set at the base of a dramatic, steep slope and surrounded by a pine forest, the cabin was built for a pair of outdoor enthusiasts who wanted a holiday home that offered a seamless indoor-outdoor living experience. The low-slung dwelling was also designed for energy efficiency and features a super-insulated envelope informed by passive solar strategies. The 1,100-square-foot Lot 6 Cabin consists of two perpendicular “bars.” One volume, which extends toward the slope, contains the kitchen, living area, dining space, utility room and garage . The other volume reaches out toward the meadow and comprises the bedroom, a bathroom and a “flex” room that can be used as a guest room or office. The glass-wall hallway and main entrance connects the two volumes. “Cladding remains consistent from exterior to interior in order to more clearly distinguish the bars as separate volumes, drawn together yet held apart like magnets at the glassed-in void of the hall,” the architects explained. “Each bar has a distinct ‘slope side’ and ‘meadow side’ materiality. At slope-facing walls, a standing seam metal roof appears to bend and continue as a wall; its inner faces are lined with sanded plywood panels. Horizontal shiplap siding clads the exterior side of meadow-facing walls, with simple, painted drywall at the interior.” To blur the line between indoors and out, the architects installed large glazed openings, a spacious deck and a semi-enclosed outdoor room that shares a double-sided fireplace with the interior living room. The home’s low, horizontal mass and use of dark materials help recede the building into the landscape. To reduce energy use, Lot 6 Cabin is equipped with on-demand propane water heating as well as in-floor radiant heat . + Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects Images by Eirik Johnson

Comments Off on Built on a budget, this elegant Dock Building glows like a lantern in Vancouver

Tight budgets typically pose one of the biggest challenges in design projects. But as Michael Green, CEO and President of Michael Green Architecture , shows in his firm’s recently completed Dock Building, beautiful architecture is “always possible regardless of budget.” Built for the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, the building melds modern and industrial influences in a sleek and sculptural volume that appears to glow like a lantern at night. Located on Jericho Beach in Vancouver , British Columbia, the Dock Building for the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club serves a large marine of sailboats. The facility consists of offices for the Harbor Master; educational spaces for children; a variety of workshops for maintaining boats, sails and gear; as well as bathrooms and showers. The modern yet simple design is made up of two intersecting wedge-shaped volumes created in reference to the cannery and the industrial waterfront building that once defined the site. “The design team at MGA aimed to demonstrate that all projects, from working industrial buildings to boutique museums , can and should be realized with grace and architectural dignity. Throughout, the details are modest and practical to work with the limited project budget,” said the Vancouver-based architecture firm in a project statement, adding that nearly half of the budget went to the foundation and piles. “The Dock Building exemplifies what a creative team, an ambitious client and a big vision can produce.” Related: Aperture-like windows maximize shading in this stunning Vancouver residence The Dock Building’s lantern-like effect can be enjoyed from the land and the sea. A glulam and translucent polycarbonate wall was installed on the side facing the land. The translucent facade glows at night and lets natural light into the workshop spaces during the day. On the side facing the sea and the marina are a row of garage doors and a glazed office frontage. The structure was built from glulam posts and beams with light timber infill decking and walls. White standing seam panels clad the exterior to mimic the color of nearby boats. The interior is predominately finished in construction-grade plywood. + Michael Green Architecture Images by Ema Peter

Comments Off on Built on a budget, this elegant Dock Building glows like a lantern in Vancouver

Tight budgets typically pose one of the biggest challenges in design projects. But as Michael Green, CEO and President of Michael Green Architecture , shows in his firm’s recently completed Dock Building, beautiful architecture is “always possible regardless of budget.” Built for the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, the building melds modern and industrial influences in a sleek and sculptural volume that appears to glow like a lantern at night. Located on Jericho Beach in Vancouver , British Columbia, the Dock Building for the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club serves a large marine of sailboats. The facility consists of offices for the Harbor Master; educational spaces for children; a variety of workshops for maintaining boats, sails and gear; as well as bathrooms and showers. The modern yet simple design is made up of two intersecting wedge-shaped volumes created in reference to the cannery and the industrial waterfront building that once defined the site. “The design team at MGA aimed to demonstrate that all projects, from working industrial buildings to boutique museums , can and should be realized with grace and architectural dignity. Throughout, the details are modest and practical to work with the limited project budget,” said the Vancouver-based architecture firm in a project statement, adding that nearly half of the budget went to the foundation and piles. “The Dock Building exemplifies what a creative team, an ambitious client and a big vision can produce.” Related: Aperture-like windows maximize shading in this stunning Vancouver residence The Dock Building’s lantern-like effect can be enjoyed from the land and the sea. A glulam and translucent polycarbonate wall was installed on the side facing the land. The translucent facade glows at night and lets natural light into the workshop spaces during the day. On the side facing the sea and the marina are a row of garage doors and a glazed office frontage. The structure was built from glulam posts and beams with light timber infill decking and walls. White standing seam panels clad the exterior to mimic the color of nearby boats. The interior is predominately finished in construction-grade plywood. + Michael Green Architecture Images by Ema Peter

Comments Off on Pinwheel-shaped timber cabin grows more beautiful over time

Like fine wine, the timber facade of this charming Norwegian cabin will improve over time. Designed by Mork-Ulnes Architects , the contemporary dwelling sits just outside of Oslo in the pine forest where it serves as a retreat for an American geologist and his family. Named after the nearby lake, Mylla Cabin is designed to blend in with its surroundings over time as its untreated pine exterior acquires a silvery patina to match the snowy landscape. Designed with a pinwheel shape, the Mylla Cabin comprises four intersecting volumes each topped with a sharply pitched roof. The 940-square-foot cabin includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, storage space, and even a two-person sauna —an iconic piece of Scandinavian culture. In fact, the entire design was guided by local traditional vernacular, specifically the “hytte,” Norwegian countryside cabins marked by their simplicity and use of natural materials. Related: Tiny alpine cabin rewards mountaineers who reach its stunning yet wild heights As a contemporary interpretation of the traditional ‘hytte,’ Mylla Cabin is clad in untreated heart pine planks that will weather over time. The interior is finished in plywood and outfitted with custom plywood furniture, from the children’s bunk beds and bed frames to the dining table and shelving. “The wings of the house engage four distinct characters of the landscape: the great room looks onto Mylla Lake, the guest room looks towards the rolling hillside, the kids’ room looks up at the sky, and the bedroom has a private view of the towering forest beyond,” share the architects. + Mork-Ulnes Architects Via Dezeen Images by Bruce Damonte , via Mork-Ulnes Architects